Description
The aluminum base of the sculpture’s pyramid is 16 feet on its longest side and 6 feet on its shortest side. The top is a small glass pyramid about 4 feet high, reaching 18 feet high in the air. This is the mountain and its summit of ice.
The City of Ottawa (OTT) spoke with artist Jean-Yves Vigneau (JYV) in March 2015, on the occasion of Glacier’s 24th birthday.
OTT: What are you memories of making the artwork Glacier 24 years ago?
JYV : The image of the sculpture came to me on the way to Boston while I was driving on the road around the White Mountains. It was a large project in terms of volume. I remember I held my breath following the truck that was transporting the sculpture as it was passing under the overpasses in Ottawa; we were at the limit of the permitted height. The Plexiglas pyramid on top of the sculpture was built in my workshop. After all the attempts to get it out through the door, in the end we had to disassemble the shop window to get it out.
OTT: Has your perception of the work changed since it was installed? If so, how do you see the sculpture now?
JYV : It is a sculpture that ages well and is still relevant in relation to its installation site. It seems to have aged well. To fabricate this sculpture now, it would cost between two and three times the price it cost during its production.
OTT: Can you impart a birthday wish for Glacier?
JYV : I hope the sculpture can still live at least another 24 years and that the City of Ottawa will continue to take steps to keep it in good condition.
OTT: What projects are you working on now?
JYV : I am working on some personal research projects with the support of the Arts Council of Canada and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. I am also currently fabricating a permanent work that will be installed in front of a fire station in Gatineau in May or June 2015.